Welcome to Transeurotrek.com TET 3 - we trek across France from The Channel to the Mediterranean

Accommodation Sentier GR26 sign River l'Eure sign Sentier GR26 sign Sentier GR26 sign Forest Dominiale Boulogne sign

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1ST TREK

France and Belgium

Luxembourg

Germany Moselle to Heidelberg

Germany Black Forest

Switzerland

Italy

2ND TREK

Holland

Germany Munsterland to Brandenburg

Germany Brandenburg to Saxony

Czech Republic

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Slovenia

3RD TREK

France Calais to Normandy

France Normandy to Creuse

France Creuse to Correze

France Correze to Aveyron

France Aveyron to Haute Provence

Kit Matters

The Trekkers

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German National Flag

French Tricolour stands proudly atop a war memorial in a Norman village

FROM ENGLISH CHANNEL TO MEDITERRANEAN

DISTANCE WALKED FROM THE CHANNEL TO ITALIAN BORDER IN HAUTE PROVENCE: 2183Km = 1365miles

ROUTE: From Calais on the French North Sea coast and south through Pas-de-Calais and Picardy south-west through Normandy to the Loire and south via the Creuse to the Dordogne, east into the Massif Centrale, Cevennes, Rhone, Provence and the Mediterranean. The international long distance routes go west-east in France and therefore are not useful for a north-south crossing. Consequently we use the massive network of Grand Randonees(GR). The network is massive on the map but in practice, in the north, the GRs are poorly maintained and marked, sometimes out of use, blocked and ploughed over. Maps are a challenge. I prefer to use 1:50,000 scale but in France these are not easily available. On the other hand, unlike in other countries, there is digital coverage at 1:25,000 and 1:100,000 but the maps are generally quite old and have inaccuracies.

Follow our route on the map

Grand Randonees 3, 35, 41, 46, 128, 120, 121, 222 & 123 unmarked lanes, roads and tracks.

Nord Pas-de-Calais, Picardie, Normandie, Centre, Limousin, Languedoc-Roussillon & Provence

FIRST SECTION - March 2010 Calais (Nord Pas-de-Calais) to Hangest (Picardie) by GR hors, 128, 120, 121 & 123 - 176Km = 110miles.

SECOND SECTION - May 2010 Longpre les Corps Saints (Picardie) to Breteuil (Normandie) by GR hors, 35 & 222 - 249Km = 155miles.

THIRD SECTION - November 2010 Breteuil (Normandie) to Amboise (Centre) by GR 222, 35, GR de Pays Perche - Vendomois - Vallee du Loir, GR Perche Vallee du Loir, 335 & 655 - 293Km = 183miles.

FOURTH SECTION - March 2011 Amboise (Centre) to Boussac (Limousin) by GR 41 & 46 - 284Km = 177miles.

FIFTH SECTION - May 2011 Boussac (Limousin) to Brive-la-Gailllarde (Limousin) by GR 3 & 46 - 284Km = 177miles.

SIXTH SECTION - November 2011 Allasac (Limousin) to Severac le Chateau (Midi-Pyrénées) by GR 46, 65, 620 & 6 - 294Km = 183miles.

SEVENTH SECTION - April/May 2012 Severac le Chateau (Aveyron) to Grasse (Haute Provence) by GR6, 620, 97, 9 & 4. - 507Km = 317miles.

EIGHTH SECTION OCTOBER 2012. Grasse (Haute Provence) to Italy by GR51 & 510. - 96Km = 60miles.

I describe how I found accommodation for the trek across France together with details of some of the places we stopped at. Accommodation in France

A village cafe survives in southern Normandy
Gites de France sign announces our Chambres d'Hote stop for the night
The path stretches ahead lined by cow parsley
Trekker emerging from a rail tunnel alongside a stream
Lovely wooded path along Le Loir
Towpath along the Somme canal
Chalky field track with views to the Channel in the distance
Woodland memorial to two heroes pf WWII Resistance
Granite wayside cross in the Creuse
Street of wooden houses in Norman town Plaque marking the 50th anniversary of return of prisoners from WWII camps Traditional road finger post in the Orme Sign-post for GR222 - a rare sign until now An old mill working the strong flow of Le Loir The chateau at Chateaudun